


All the way down

by rosesbloom



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2019-09-02 18:58:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16792819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesbloom/pseuds/rosesbloom
Summary: FP Jones can feel this town going to hell. He can feel the people he loves most slipping through his fingers. But he won't have that happen. Not if he has anything to say about it.





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey dad, it's uh- it's me. I just wanted to tell you that me and Archie are going out of town for a while. After everything that happened with G&G and Joaquin I just-I just needed a little time to breathe, until this all dies down a bit. Please don't worry about me, I'm okay. Thank you for trying to protect me. I'll see you soon Dad." FP Jones listened to his son's voicemail with tears threatening to spill in his eyes, he drove his son away. He couldn't keep him safe so he left town to keep himself safe. He knew how many times he fucked up as a parent, how many times Jughead preferred being away from him rather than close, he knew, God, did he know and oh how he tried to fix it.

FP Jones won't ever have a parent of the year award- lord knows he's no Fred Andrews, but he tried. He tries. He tries to sober up and get his act together and he tries to support his son and be there for him as much as he can. But sometimes, he fails. And this one, beats every other one.  
His son chose to be homeless rather than live with him. He put his son through hell when he went to prison. He broke his son's heart when he drove his mother and sister away. But this time, it was bigger than that. It was bigger than an argument or the silence treatment. He failed to keep his son safe, he failed as a parent. And that stung the most.

So when FP grabbed his serpent jacket and his motorcycle keys, speeding off to God knows where, he knew that this time he has to fix everything. All of it. For Jughead. For his boy.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up"  
"You have reached Alice Smith's voicemail. I'm probably busy or just avoiding you, but please, feel free to leave me a message after the beep...Beep"  
"Al, hey, it's me again. I really, really need to talk to you. It's about Jughead. Please call me back" 

"Veronica? Veronica you in here?" FP called into the half-lit speakeasy. He came looking for Veronica because she's the only one that could provide him with answer on his son's whereabouts, she is Archie's girlfriend after all, even if by some miracle he doesn't have time to question right now that red-headed boy is a free man and roaming nearby towns with his son, or that her psychotic father is obsessed with destroying the seventeen-year-old's life.

He got nothing in response, just the sound of loud sniffling. He followed the sound to see Veronica sitting on the stage crying, accompanied by no other than Kevin Keller, Tom Keller's son.  
"Hey uh- is everything okay there?" he awkwardly asked, not knowing where he stands in all this.

The raven-haired girl quickly straightened her posture and wiped her tears away, standing up all too quick. "Mr. Jones, Hi, I uh- what are you doing here?"  
"I was looking for Jughead he left me a weird message and I'm very worried about him. Lord knows that boy loves trouble. I couldn't find Betty, I supposed you'd know where he and Red went?" before FP could continue the young girl broke out in loud sobs and the Keller boy immediately got up to comfort her. 

"Am I missing something here?" FP furrowed his eyebrows, his stomach dropped at the girl's strong reaction, fearing the worst.  
"Archie broke up with Veronica" The Keller boy answered and FP sighed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry Veronica, if there's anything I can do-"  
"It's fine, Mr. Jones" Veronica wiped her tears, "he called me from a payphone and said that he can't come back to Riverdale. I don't know where they are, I'm sorry. I think you should go to Mr. Andrews" 

So to Mr. Andrews he went.  
"Fred, please, do you have the slightest idea-"  
"FP, trust me, I'm as worried as you are. Even more even, since my son's the target of several police parties and non other than Hiram Lodge. I've been going insane and I can't stop thinking of the what if's, but FP, our boys, they're- they're tough. They can handle themselves out there. And I think it's safer for them anywhere else than this town" Fred spoke softly and FP nodded, he knew he was right, he knew it. But he can't bring himself to sleep at night not knowing where his boy is.  
"But Betty on the other hand... I'm not so sure" 

"What do you mean?" FP furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Alice sent her away. To the sisters. I saw two men carrying her out and I tried to talk some sense into Alice but you know how stubborn she is, even when she's hysterical"  
FP's eyes widened to his hairline, his mouth agape. He can't believe Alice would send another one of her daughters to that place, after what happened with Polly. But he knew the extreme measures they had to take as parents to ensure their kids' safety.

"What- What about her? What about Alice? Where is she now?" he asked, growing more worried every second.  
"She said something about an Edgar and a farm-" FP slammed his fist on the wooden table, he rubbed his palm over his face, "that damn farm" he sighed.  
"Do you know something about it?" Fred worriedly asked.  
"I thought it was like a- a club thing, but I'm starting to think it's more than that. Deeper than that. I'm worried about her Fred" FP confessed.

"She's scrappy that one, she'll be okay" 

"C'mon Jug. C'mon boy" FP begged as he held the phone to his ear for dear life. He had been calling his son all day, just wanting to hear his voice telling him he's okay and safe. But he got nothing.  
"Hello?" As if whatever God was out there heard his prayers, FP let out a long sigh of relief. "Jughead?!"  
"Dad. Hey! I was just about to call you I- I uh- We're okay, dad. Please don't worry much about me. We found a farm with some really nice people and they're letting us stay if we work for them" Jughead's voice filled FP's ears and he stopped listening after he was assured he was safe, he closed his eyes and prayed for that boy.

"Boy, you can't just- you can't" FP stuttered, failing to find words to capture how worried and scared he was. He wanted his boy to be here with him and he wanted this town to not go to shit. He wanted life before Gargoyles and Black Hoods, but he knew how unsafe it was here now. And his boy was old enough to take care of himself. He just wished there was another way for him. For all of them.

"Dad, I'm fine. Like I said, just until this all dies down" he paused "How's Betty?" the younger Jones asked and FP knew he had to cover it up with a white lie so that boy won't be worried to death about his girlfriend.

"She's okay" Lie. FP thought.

"Good. Good. Please, dad, make sure she's okay and doesn't worry about me" Jughead told his dad and FP's heart broke for him.  
"I will" he will "Take care of yourself, Jughead. I love you, boy"  
"Love you too, dad. Goodnight." 

"FP?"  
"Get dressed, Freddie. We're going to save this damn town"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dilf brigade going to rescue Alice, honestly what we've all been waiting for. You're welcome.

"We need to get Alice out of that damn farm" FP said to Fred who was in the passenger seat.  
"Then we'll go get Betty the hell out of that hell hole, after that we'll convince Archie and Jug to come back home" Fred continued.

"If we need to save this town, we have to all do it. We have to stick together" FP stated and Fred nodded.

This wasn't gonna be easy, they both silently knew it. The parents of Riverdale weren't the closest group of people. They both knew how hard it was for everyone to be on the same page. Some of them were sworn enemies, others didn't acknowledge each other, the rest were just nods in passing or a forced hello. Nothing more. 

But it was time. Time to step up and take matters into their own hands, because quite frankly, their kids have been doing that for the past year or so.  
They needed to put all their differences aside and work together to make Riverdale a safe home for their kids, a home the wouldn't fear or feel the need to runaway from. A home where they'd feel safe going out with friends to Pop's without the the fear of Black Hoods attacking, a home where they could play hide and seek in the forest without worrying about a Gargoyle attacking them. It was time. 

"What about your serpents?" Fred asked, he knew it was a sensitive topic, he knew that FP wasn't their king anymore and that they somehow fell apart and went separate ways, but he had to ask.

"They're not at their best. We still have some Serpents here and there. Most went with the Ghoulies and others left town, but I know- I know for a fact that if we really needed them they'll be here in a heartbeat, at least the ones that still claim the Serpents" he chuckled humorlessly and fixed his eyes on the road in front of him.  
"Where did you say it was?" he changed the subject, "uh, take a left turn I think we're almost there" 

"Welcome to The Farm" Fred quietly read the dramatic sign hung between the trees, "We're here".  
"Listed Fred, I don't know who these people are and what their deal is. I've heard talk here and there from Jughead and Betty when Polly went there that they're a bunch of brainwashed psychos and they could be dangerous. You can back out if you want or just wait here, I'll completely understand" 

"FP, I got it. I've dealt with my fair share of psychos. Plus, I called Tom for backup-"  
"What?! Fred! I don't wanna involve anyone else in this."  
"What happened to all that 'help each other' bullshit. Plus like you said, they could be insane so at least we won't die in a ditch and have no one find us" Fred chuckled and FP joined in.

"Hello, passers, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit to the farm?" a hippie looking woman greeted the two men, and they instantly felt uneasy.  
"Um we're here to uh-"  
"Visit someone, a friend" Fred finished his sentence, and FP shot him a grateful look.

"Oh, I'm sorry. No visiting allowed. Here at the farm we focus on starting a new life, away from everyone and everything from the past" The middle-aged redhead shot them a small smile, that made something turn in FP's stomach in unease.

"I don't think you understand. We won't be long. An emergency happened that Alice needs to know about and-"  
"Alice Smith?" the red-head's tone was sharp "Edgar's new pet" she spat out.

"Excuse me?" Fred asked, and she continued.  
"Oh I don't know what he sees in her! He was never like this with any of the new comers, but ever since she joined the farm he won't leave her side. I don't know what she had that I don't! Plus I've known him for much longer" she rolled her eyes in anger. "If she's the one you're looking for, I'll let you see her. Maybe you'll convince her to leave. But you have to blend in and if you're caught, you never saw me" she pointed at the two men to follow, they shared a worried look but obliged nonetheless.

"I look ridiculous, Fred!" FP pointed at the hippie outfit the red-head whose name she said was Marine, Fred held back a laugh but the smile creeping on his lips gave him away. "Oh don't you laugh at me! Look at you!" 

Suddenly the door opened and the two men jumped, hoping it's Marine or someone who won't throw them out of this place.  
But their eyes met green and Tom Keller stood in front of the two men, they sighed in relief before the former sheriff burst out laughing, "Okay, okay Tom we get it" said FP, smiling.  
"How did you even find us?" Asked Fred.  
"Some chick named Marine let me in here, said you two hunks were here" Tom smiled, but his smile quickly faded "she also said... that I have to dress like you" the two other men laughed and handed him the clothes that were hung up.

"Alright, we'll go looking for Alice, Tom you walk around the farm, see if anything suspicious happens. If it does call us" and with that, the three men parted ways.

"Inhale. Exhale" a-fifty-something man teaching a yoga class said, it was located next to a big fire and each one of the people were dressed the exact same.  
"You new?" the man's words were directed at Fred, he was frazzled but quickly covered it up, "uh- yes" he kept looking around for Alice, but no luck.  
"Funny. Edgar didn't say anything about new comers. Come. Join us. Take the weight off your shoulders and breathe in the scent of life" the older man smiled and Fred looked around, hoping someone will save him, but there was no luck. So he joined.

"Hello, fellow farmers" FP gritted through his teeth. Talking like this made him want to die, but he had to blend in, so he did what he had to do. "have any of you seen dear Alice?" the three hippies shook their heads no and FP rolled his eyes, but quickly realized his mistake "thank you, dearest" he said and moved to look elsewhere.

He had been looking for half an hour with no results, as he was about to call Tom he saw a woman with blonde hair walking, he ran to her as fast as he can "Alice! Alice!"

The woman turned around and revealed that she was in fact, not Alice. She rolled her eyes "everyone mistakes me for that woman. She's in her cabin over there"  
"Thank you! Thank you!" FP told the woman and ran to where she was pointing.

He knocked twice and let himself in the wooden cabin.  
It was decorated with vintage furniture and smelled of the forest, he crinkled his nose remembering how much Alice used to hate the smell of mud and fresh-cut grass when they were younger.  
"Edgar is that you?" Alice peeked her head towards the door, holding a cup of tea.

"FP?!" she exclaimed "what the hell are you doing here?!"  
"Alice! Thank God!" he strode to where she was standing and hugged the life out of her, almost dropping her tea. "We've been in this hell hole for an hour and I can't bare it here. How do you handle living here? Come on, we're taking you home" he got a hold of her hand and began tugging at it. She stayed put.

"FP. I can't go back home. I'm happy here" she said quietly, too quietly for Alice Smith.  
"I know you think Riverdale is unsafe. But, Al, we want it to be. We're going to let it be. For our kids. No matter how hard it is. I know you were never one to just get up and leave when things get a little too tough-"  
"Things aren't getting 'a little too tough', FP! This could cost us our kids' lives! I can't live in constant fear of losing my daughter! I don't know about you but I don't want to lose another kid" she shot back, and she knew she went a little too far, she knew she was a little too harsh. But she had to be, she had to build walls around herself because disaster follows everyone that comes near her.

"How dare you, Alice? You think Jughead's safety isn't my first priority?! I screwed up as a parent too many times, but here I am. I won't have our kids' hometown turn into somewhere they fear. We're gonna fix this this time, unlike every other time." 

"I can't. I can't leave the farm, Edgar won't allow it" she shook her head and his face softened and he softly grabbed the sides of her face, "Al, do you want to be here?"  
Hearing his soft, familiar voice made her tears threaten to spill, she looked anywhere but his face "I have t-"  
"You don't have to do anything, Alice. You're coming home" 

She nodded and captured him in a tight embrace, when his phone rang.

"Keller? What's going on?"  
"Some hippies are saying it's 'cabin checking' time, I don't know what the hell that means but that Edgar person goes to ever cabin, Where are you? Did you find Alice?"  
"She's here with me. Where is he now?"  
"Next to that painting class- Hey if I come here with Sierra to relax and unwind will that land me in the cult or will it be like a spa day?... Hello? FP?" 

"C'mon, Al. We have to get you out of here" as they were about to open the door, a forty-something blonde man opened the door and glared at the two.  
"Alice? Going anywhere?" The infamous Edgar spoke, and if looks could kill, FP would absolutely be dead.  
"Yes, actually, she's coming home" FP answered for her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders, he felt her relax in his hold. 

The man chuckled humorlessly, "I'm afraid that's not possible, sir" he casually said, grabbing Alice and pulling her towards him.  
FP raised an eyebrow at Edgar's actions and slowly moved towards him, glaring intensely at him. Alice looked scared to say the least and he wanted to rip his hands off of her.

"Now I'm going to say this once, hippie. Let. Go. Of. Her" FP moved so close to the other man and he knew he was intimidating, the man backed away a few feet, but his hands remained on Alice.  
FP smirked, about ready to beat the living hell out of him, "Do I need to say it again? She doesn't want to be here, it's not your place to force her to stay" 

"She does. She's not in the right mind to make decisions right now" he looked at Alice and then back at FP "now, I think you can see your way out" 

FP clenched his fist and before he knew it his fist met Edgar's face and ha stumbled to the ground. FP took a moment to register what happened but as soon as he did he looked at Alice, "Al, go"  
"I'm not leaving you alone with him, FP" she responded.

Before he could say anything Edgar was off the ground and attacking him again in a blink, FP got a few punches in but Edgar had him pinned to the ground, he closed his eyes and waited for the worst.  
But a weight being lifted off of him and to the ground was all he felt, he opened his eyes to see non other than Tom Keller standing there in those ridiculous hippie clothes, but he could honestly say, this is the happiest he's ever been to see Keller. He looked at Edgar to see that he was unconscious on the ground. 

"Keller! How did you find us?" FP said as Tom and Alice helped him up, "I felt it. I felt you were here my man" FP rolled his eyes, "okay fine I went into every cabin until I found you, you got me"  
"Let's get you out of here" FP grabbed Alice's hand and got her out of the cabin. 

"Where's Freddie?" Tom asked, looking around.  
"Wait Fred is also here?" 

"Guys" FP said, his smile visible in his voice, "I found him" the two followed the direction of his gaze to see Fred Andrews in a yoga class, his leg stuck over his head with one of the older women trying to get it down. The three burst out laughing at the sight, "I can now die in peace knowing I saw Freddie Andrews in a yoga class with a bunch of sixty something women".

"Well, Alice, we're glad to have you back" Tom said from the drivers seat.  
FP squeezed her hand a little tighter and she laid her head on his shoulder, "we sure are" he added.  
"But Alice... what you did to Betty it was- it was really not okay and I know your intentions were pure. But you of all people should know how it is in their" Alice felt her heart drop, "considering you eldest was also there" Tom continued and Alice calmed down a bit.

"I know. I know. I just felt so helpless, like anything I did would just put her in more danger. And that girl she's stubborn and does what she wants, there's no stopping her unless I physically stopped her"  
"reminds me of someone else" FP smiled, "but Tom's right. We have to fix this. We started this game after all. We have to end it"  
Alice nodded and moved closer to FP. He kissed te top of her head. 

"I like having you back and all Alice, but the highlight of my night was Freddie over here in yoga tights" FP chuckled and Alice and Tom joined in.  
"Ha ha real funny. Make fun of me all you want but Margret said I'm flexible and that I can do anything I put my mind to"  
"So you're you're going back next Thursday?" Tom smiled, making the rest laugh. 

"First thing in the morning we'll go to get Betty" Alice said as she changed into FP's clothes for bed. He had suggested she spend the nigh with him since she seemed so afraid to be alone at her house, and she quickly agreed.  
"I feel like a horrible mother, FP, I just-" he cut her off by walking to her and capturing her in an embrace. "You did it for the right reasons. She'll be okay. We'll go first thing tomorrow. Now let's get you to bed" he walked her over to his warm sheets and tucked her in, kissing the top of her head.

As he was getting up to go sleep on the couch, he heard her small voice speak, "will you stay with me?"  
He smiled at her and moved to get in bed with her. He opened his arms for her and she obliged, nestling her face in his neck as close as she can. 

"It's gonna be okay, Al. It's all gonna be okay"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me how you're finding this so far!! And tell me what you want to see for the future in this story!


	3. Chapter 3

"God I feel like such a horrible mother" Alice shook her head as she made her morning coffee. She couldn't sleep last night, not well anyway, she was so worried, so mad at herself, so mad at this town.  
Eventually FP convinced her to get a few hours of sleep so she won't be tired in the morning, with the promise that everything will be okay. And she had to force herself to believe him.

"Alice-"   
"You can't deny it, FP! I AM a horrible mother, I let my daughter- both my daughters into that- that place! I, of all people, should know better! I was there I saw how horrible it was and yet I chose to put my baby girls back there. I- ugh- I can't believe myself sometimes!" Alice put her face in her hands shaking slightly and holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

"Al," FP said softly moving to sit next to her on the table "you were brainwashed, you were manipulated, by Hal and that Edgar guy. You meant well putting them in there, I know you did. Sometimes we have to go to extreme levels just to ensure our kids' safety, and sometimes we are the bad guys. But it's always because of how much we love them" He rubbed her back and she looked up at him, eyes glossing from fresh tears and she nodded.

"Let's go get my girl back" he smiled at her and they headed out the door, with the hope of that everything will be just alright.

"I know all they ins and outs of this place, I've tried to escape my fair share of times" Alice told the three men in her vehicle. 

Originally, they just wanted to go the two of them, but Fred and Tom wouldn't take no for an answer, and they knew they wouldn't mind the company nor the help.

"Why didn't you ever call?" FP asked her, he knew it wasn't the time for this talk but he really needed to know.

"I couldn't, FP" Alice looked out the window, "They don't allow it. Even though I did get my hands on a few cellphones in my stay there, I- I couldn't call you"   
"But why? You know I would've been there in a heartbeat!" 

"I know" she said softly, her voice was barely heard, "that's the problem. I wanted you to come, and I knew you would've. I just couldn't" she took a deep breath and continued, fully aware that both remaining men could clearly hear everything they were saying, "I needed to get away from my life- the Southside life, this was my way out. I wasn't going to ruin my safe, 'perfect' life on the Northside with my feelings. Lord knows I did that a lot. So I didn't, I just waited for it to be over" 

FP closed his eyes and shook his head, "I'm sorry" he mumbled.

She took a hold of his hand and said "don't apologize, FP. It's all over now, okay?" he nodded and she smiled.

"Guys" Fred broke the uncomfortable silence by pointing out something to the foursome, their gaze followed his finger and it landed on a nun.   
"That's sister Woodhouse" Alice said. "What kind of name is Woodhouse?" Tom furrowed his eyebrows.

"There were rumors back when I was here that it isn't even her real name. That she is a drug dealer that the police was trying to catch for months, so she wears a costume and acts like a nun but still runs her business here..."   
"That's messed up" Fred said.  
"I highly doubt that's true, Fred, it was just a rumor" Alice responded.

"I think this one is true" Tom said, brows furrowing, "Look"   
And the four pairs of eyes met with the man in black, the reason behind all this chaos, the master mind or everything that can go wrong in this town,"Hiram Lodge".

"What the hell would Hiram be doing in a place for troubled teens?" FP said what they were all thinking. 

"There's more to this place than what meets the eye" Tom said "that's for sure".

"Sister Woodhouse, good morning"   
"Alice Smith. Hello, dear. Checking up on Elizabeth I suppose? Although it isn't visiting hours just yet" the older woman gave Alice a tight lipped smile.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you" Alice smiled, and at the nun's raised eyebrow, she elaborated "it's been so long since we chatted. I just want to make sure you're treating Elizabeth the way you've treated me" Alice smiled and the nun smiled back, she looked towards the van and gave the three men the thumbs up.

With sister Woodhouse so deep in explaining the daily routine for the girls here, Alice took her time to look around for the keys, she then spotted them hooked to the nun's dress, and Alice had to think quick.

So she reached out and hugged the older woman tightly, surprising and flattering the woman in front of her.  
"Thank you so much, sister, this means a lot to me" Alice successfully unhooked the keys without the nun noticing and tossed them to FP, she motioned for them to hurry and went back to her conversation with sister Woodhouse.

"This place looks horrible" Fred pointed out and they both nodded.

"According to this list, it is now...breakfast time, meaning, Betty would be in the dining hall which is- where, exactly?" Tom asked.  
"Second Floor" FP said "I hear forks touching plates from up there" 

"When it comes to food, rely on FP Jones" Tom smiled.

"Hello" a nun said, scaring the three men, "how may I help you?"   
"We're here to uh- fix the uh- dining room tables" Fred said, convincingly enough.

"Ah. You were supposed to come in last month-" she stopped when she saw their appearances.

"You're dressed well for men who are gonna get themselves dirty" she narrowed her eyes, and after a moment, she spoke "follow me" 

The three shared a relieved look, Tom mouthed "I can't believe she bought it!" and followed closely behind.

As they entered the dining hall, something quickly caught their attention.  
Every table had a game of Gryffins and Gargoyles on it, and the girls seemed to be way more interested in the game than their food.

FP took a sharp intake of breath as he saw the teens and something knotted in his stomach, something in this place was off.

"Excuse me, What is this game they're all playing?" Fred asked, acting dumb. The nun gave them a side eyed look and smiled, "oh nothing. Just a silly board game they use to distract themselves" Fred gulped and looked at the two men who shared the same expression.

"You have to wait until all girls are finished to start, here take a seat" she pointed at a green couch, "I'll be back to give you details" and with that she was gone.

"Okay so we wait until the girls get out, find Betty, get her out from the door in the pipes and that's it?" Fred asked, "why can't Alice just come get her. She is her mother after all"   
"They have a strict policy, if you sign your kid up for three months, they're staying here for three months, even if you change your mind, that won't matter" FP spoke and Fred nodded.

"Hey" Tom started, "isn't that Ethel? She goes to school with the kids"   
"Oh yeah" as if on cue, she spotted the three men and went over to greet them.

"Hello Sheriff Keller, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Jones"   
"Hey, Ethel" Fred spoke, still confused to her presence here, "what are you doing here?" 

"I was sent here after I almost died of poison, I was with Jughead in the bunker and we kissed" she blushed and looked at FP.  
"You what- with who and where?!" FP exclaimed, looking at the other worried dads.

"It's okay, Mr. Jones, I'm not worried" she smiled, "I'm doing all of this for my king"   
The three men knew what she meant, they had seen this insanity before, and they weren't gonna stand to see it happen again, that's the whole point of them coming here, trying to piece the town back together.

"What do you mean you're doing this for your king?" 

"The gargoyle king. We talk. All the time. And- even though he never said anything, I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite. All the girls are jealous of me here" 

"Wait so everyone in here plays this game?" Fred asked.

"Well, I mean, everyone in town plays it, of course everyone here does as well! Which level are you guys on?! Have you met him yet? What's your quest now? Wait! Is that's why you're here?" she moved a little closer and whispered "are you on a quest?" 

"No Ethel we-" Tom started but FP interrupted him, "Yes, we are. And we need your help" he saw the joy in the girl's eyes and he knew this plan just might work.

"And now! I must present to you our three new helpers for this quest" Ethel said to the full cafeteria, who were watching in anticipation.  
As the three men got up on the make-believe stage that the girls put together, the room erupted into loud claps and cheers and their eyes scanned for the younger Cooper's.

"What are they doing?" Tom asked the nun, playing dumb so she wouldn't suspect anything, and she just said, "nothing dear, it's just a game, don't worry" 

"Mr. Jones?!" Betty noticed the dark-haired serpent first, "Mr. Andrews?! Mr. Keller?! What the hell is going on here?" she said as she entered the cafeteria.

"They're a part of our new quest, Betty" a girl with golden braids said to Betty.  
"Uh, no Maria, they're my friends' dads" she let it out before she could see their attempts to tell her to not say anything.

"Wait, Elizabeth, you know these people?" the nun said and the blonde shared a panicked look with the three men,

Tom spoke first, "okay everyone, the number one thing you have to do in your quest is catch your nun here, Sister-" he read the name off of her dress "Blakely. And don't let her out of your sight for thirty minutes" 

And as the teens ran towards the older woman, the three men and Betty made a run towards the pipes where the exit was, ignoring the nun's loud screams and threats to catch them.

When they reached the pipes, Betty said "why are you guys here? How did you even know I was here?! Does Jug know?" she pointed the last one at FP and he spoke, "No, no Betty no one knows. We came here to help your mom break you out" 

"My mom?! She's the one who even sent me to this god forsaken place at the first place!" Betty's voice was loud and filled with emotions- mostly anger.

"Betty, we know you're mad at her. Trust us, we would be too. But, she did it out of pure worry and love. She never wanted you to get hurt and you wouldn't listen" Fred said.  
"She had no choice" Tom added. 

"Let's just get out of here" Fred spoke after a minute.

"Wait" Betty said, "I can't- I can't go! Not now. All the girls here are brainwashed! They play G&G non-stop and the nuns give them 'candy' which is fizzle rocks that gets them high so they can imagine the gargoyle king! It's so messed up and I can't- I can't let them torture these innocent girls who only ever wanted to get better by brainwashing them. Please. Help me" Betty's hopeful look made all three men agree to her plan.

"Alice's gonna kill me" FP mumbled and went back up to the main building.


	4. Chapter 4

"What exactly is your plan Betty? You've been here long enough to know as well as I do that this spell they've cast on these young girls won't just disappear in a minute or two" FP said, looking around the empty halls, the mixed screams of the brainwashed girls and the hopeless nuns filling his ears.

"I know. I don't exactly have a plan but I have to do anything to stop this- this madness from spreading! I don't want to hear that the next victim of this insanity is one of my friends- your children!" Betty exclaimed her eyes watery all of a sudden.

"It's okay, Betty. Everything will be fine, but- but if we do get them out... where will they go? Lord knows their families can't handle them so they put them here-" Fred stopped when he saw Betty's hurt expression, "Betty you know that's not why your mom put you here, right?" 

She avoided meeting the eyes of the three men, looking down at her feet, shifting slightly, "I'm not so sure anymore. All I ever wanted to do was help. Her. This town. But it's just-" 

"She knows that, Betty" Said FP, "She feels horrible about it. All she wanted to do was protect you, that's all that matters to her. She feared she'd lose you like she did Polly. Please forgive her, you're all she has" 

"What about all her farm crap" She rolled her eyes.

"Done. We got her out of there and Freddo here got a few yoga lessons with- what's her name?" Tom asked, mockingly.

"Her name is Margret, and she happens to be a very nice lady" Fred said which earned him soft laughs from the three.

The four walked through the hall until they reached the end of it, the loud voices from the chaos they created in the cafeteria were getting louder and louder.  
Tom stopped near the door and made a shushing motion.

"Okay, our first priority is distracting the nuns. Betty, do you happen to know how many they are around here?" 

"Four to five. Sister Johnson usually takes a nap at 12 so we're safe" she answered.

"So what's the plan how are we gonna distract them?" Fred asked, furrowing his eyebrows until realization hit him and he and Tom shared a knowing look.

"Forsythe" they smiled slyly, "you always had a way with the ladies" Tom said, Betty and Fred chuckled.

"Oh no. no no no. Hell no! The hell am I supposed to talk to them about? The bible?" 

"Just flirt a little, they need a little action in their life!" 

"How do you even flirt with a nun? 'Is it hot in here or is that just the Holy Spirit Burning inside of you?' or just the casual 'Is this the transfiguration? because you're glowing'?" 

"Why the hell do you even know christian pick up lines-" 

"Seems like you have it covered, bud" laughed Fred. 

"Fine. I'll need some help though, I can't handle six nuns" FP said, eyeing Tom knowingly.

"Ugh fine. I guess I'll do it" he fake-complained, "But if any one of you tells Sierra hands will be thrown!" 

Fred and Betty headed to the dining room while the remaining two men made their way to the main desk where sister Kane was sitting.

"Attention!" Said Betty standing up on one of the stools, Fred standing closely near, "your quest is done. The king congratulates you" The duo heard cheers and sounds of enjoyment from the crowd of teenage girls.

"However," continued Fred, "sister Woodley here needs to be locked up in a room where no one can enter. The king asked so himself" He saw nodding heads and agreeing eyes.

"Go. Catch her" as she said this the crowd went crazy, looking for the sneaky nun.

"Uh, have you been working here long?" FP asked, trying to sound smooth talking to this sixty-something nun working in a drug running cult.

"All my life" she said, not averting her gaze from her laptop.

FP shot Tom, who was trying his luck with a younger, better looking nun next to the rooms, a deadly glare, and Tom only smiled and waved back politely, whispering something to the sister.

"These are very nice glasses may I say. I had mine redone last month and it's a really hard choice you know- choosing what style you want, because it's just gonna stay on your face forever and they're not cheap let me tell you that. I mean 600 dollars! Phew!" He tried his luck again, but she seemed to lack interest even more.

She looked up from her screen, visibly annoyed "may I help you, sir?" 

"When I read Philippians 4:8... I think about you, sister Kane" 

The girls tied sister Woodley to a chair in the dining hall, obliging to Betty and Fred's request.

"Well done, girls. Now, find a room where no one can enter so the nuns can... rest there" Betty smiled and the girls obeyed.

"So, sister Woodhouse I saw you were talking to Hiram Lodge earlier? How random. I didn't expect to see him here" Alice said innocently, hoping the nun wouldn't catch up.

"Oh yes. A lovely man" Alice almost rolled her but quickly smiled and nodded to cover it up.

"What business does he have in a home for troubled girls?" 

"Oh he likes to visit the premises sometimes. He also brings the girls great candy" the nun smiled.

Alice's eyes widened, she knew what 'candy' meant. After all, Hiram was the one who brought the fizzle rocks on assention night.  
"What- what kind of candy?" 

"Just chocolate dear, no need to be worried" the older woman smiled, and something in her smile left Alice uneasy.

"Done and done just say I still got it" FP told Fred when they met in the hall that separates the cafeteria from the rooms.

"Where are they?" Fred asked the taller man.

"Got them waiting for me in two different rooms. The first one was hard to pin down but as soon as I told the second one she made me want to be a better christian her legs were wide open- Ouch!" FP said earning a slap on the shoulder from Fred.

"FP she's a nun. That's disgusting" 

"Well what can I say, Freddie boy, my game applies to everyone" FP raised his eyebrows, obviously please with himself.

"Anyway, what happened with you and Betty did you find the rest of the nuns?" 

"We have sister Woodley in the 'king's chambers' as the girls call it" Fred said, looking around at the screaming, running girls.

"Okay so that leaves one. Sister Woodhouse" 

"Alice dear as much as I enjoyed chatting with you I really have to go back up and check on the girls" sister Woodhouse said and Alice nodded.

"Yes, of course. I had a good time. We should d-" Alice stopped mid-sentence because of a waving-jumping Tom Keller standing next to the door.

He was motioning something that Alice couldn't quite make out, it was a hand knife to his throat and he was pretending to be dead.

This isn't the time for your jokes, Thomas. Alice thought.

But what if someone got seriously hurt and that's what he's trying to tell her. Was it Betty?! Was it FP?!

Then Tom started pointing at the nun who sensed something was off and turned around to see what's happening, but Alice quickly embraced her in a hug, blocking her view from Tom.

She saw her former friend getting closer to them, motioning for her to keep the hug going, so she did.

Tom got closer and took the flannel he had with him to cover sister Woodhouse's eyes.

"Wha- Alice what is going on?!" 

"It's gonna be okay, sister. Just keep moving" she- as clueless as she was at first- smiled at Tom and they lead the way to the building to join the rest to whatever they have planned.


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell are you dumbasses doing?! and where is my daughter?!" a raging Alice Smith exclaimed when the nun was out of sight.

"Don't worry Al, she's with Fred, they're locking the doors where we put the nuns- this sounds bad" said FP.

"You think? What kind of dumb plan is this? Locking all the nuns in rooms and running away with what- 30 girls in tow? what the hell will we do with them?! huh?! This is a dangerous situation and I won't have you three dumbasses put my daughter in danger!" 

"Well, do you have any other plan, Alice?" Tom asked, putting his hands on his hips and eyeing her knowingly.

"How about do what we originally came here to do and get Betty out and run!" Alice said, throwing her hands in the air.

"What about all these other girls! They're brainwashed, Al! They are dedicating all their time and energy to something that doesn't exist! And if we wanna fix this town we'll start by taking this- whatever this is- out of it. So are you in or not?" 

Alice thought for a moment, her eyes softening when she thought that these girls were someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's friend. They deserve not to be delusional, like she and her friends once were.

"Okay. Okay" She said and the two men smiled and softly patted her back and were on their way to finish this.

"Betty!" Alice exclaimed running towards the younger blonde who was standing next to her former best friend and current neighbor.

"Mom?!" Betty said as her mother pulled her into an earth shattering hug.

"Betty. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry" said Alice, kissing the top of her daughter's head, "All of this is my fault. I didn't know how to keep you safe, Betty. Lord knows you wouldn't listen to me if I told you not to go and investigate this damned game with your serpent boyfriend-" she eyed FP, "but I'm here now, okay? We are going to make it all better" 

"It's okay, mom" Betty smiled as her mother pulled her into another hug.

"As much as I'm loving this mother-daughter bonding we need to get the girls out and get solid proof that this place is a scam so we can shut it down" said Fred and everyone nodded.

"Okay, Mr. Andrews will you help me get all the girls out?" Betty asked

"Of course. Tom?" 

"Right behind ya. FP, Alice, you do the investigating part, you've always been good at that" Tom smiled at the duo and left them to it.

"We've been at this for an hour, FP" Alice sighed

"Alright, if I was a drug running make-believe nun where would I hide my drugs" FP wondered as he opened closet doors and desk shelves.

"Bingo!" FP said, proudly smiling at himself.

"I'm concerned, Forsythe, were you a drug running make-believe nun at some point?" Alice said, mockingly, moving closer to get a better look at the drugs he found.

"They hide them in the girls' files! Their files! That's just sick" FP said. He saw Alice sit down on the desk and sigh deeply.

"Al-" 

"A terrible mother" she shook her head with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Alice. Look at me" he moved closer so that he was almost standing between her legs, raising her chin with his thumb, holding her hand with his other.

"You're not a terrible mom. I told you once and I'll tell you again, you're an amazing mom. Truly. Sometimes we all have to go to great- sometimes horrible- risks to protect our kids. Hell, do you think I'm proud of the part I played in getting rid of that Blossom's kid's body?! It haunts me, Al. It does. Sometimes I can still feel that night, as if it was yesterday" 

She softened her gaze, looking at him, his eyes getting watery as he talks on. His hand never left hers.

"But I had to do it. For Jughead. And I spent years thinking I'm a horrible parent. But am I? All I wanted- All we ever want- is for our kids to be safe, and If that makes us horrible parents then let's be horrible" he smiled and she joined him.

"Thank you, FP" she said her voice over a whisper, her eyes flickering from his eyes to his lips.

He leaned into her and slowly captured her lips, she was quick to respond, deepening the kiss and throwing her arms over his shoulders, as his arms sneaked to hold her waist tightly.

She broke the kiss first, suddenly coming to her senses.

"We should uh-" she pointed to the drugs.

"Yeah, yeah we uh- better go" FP straightened shirt, grabbing the bag of fizzle rocks and got out of the room, Alice a few steps ahead of him.

"Finally!" Said Tom, "It took you guys forever!" 

"No, it didn't!" Alice said defensively

"It just took us a while to find these bad boys, they can't have them lying around anywhere, huh" FP said quickly.

"Yeah. Uh the girls are all at the garden with Betty and Fred. I'll call the station and tell my boys to come investigate the place. But at the mean time can you two stay until they get here?" 

"Uh- yeah sure no- no problem here" Alice mumbled nervously.

"You sure? Do creepy nuns freak you out, Al?" Tom laughed

"Yup, that's it" she smiled, hoping he wouldn't suspect anything.

"Alright, the nuns are all in that chambers thing downstairs, if it freaks you out don't go just be careful of any noises you hear" 

"Alright, thanks man" FP waved at the man.

"Do you have any idea what we'll do with them?" Betty asked Fred.

The older man sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Maybe they can stay at mine, you know until child services figure out what to do with them-" 

"Mr. Andrews, that's insane they're almost thirty girls! No way they could fit into your house" 

Fred looked at the girls, smiling and talking excitedly about their next quest and he suddenly figured it out. "The Wyrm" he smiled.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier I just-" 

"No, FP, it was mutual" Alice interrupted the serpent sitting on the desk in front of her. "I just, I didn't want to complicate this-" she pointed between them "any more than it even is. Because I know at the end I'm gonna lose you again and I just think it's be better if we stayed friends" 

"Why- why are you so sure it won't work out between us" FP asked

"Oh please, FP! We've tried this before-" 

"We were kids, Alice!" FP shot back

"You're married!" she said, coming up with more reasons to why this is wrong

"I'm getting a divorce" 

"Our kids are dating-" 

"They can learn to deal with it!" 

"FP" she silently pleaded

He moved from where he was sitting on the desk to the chair she was sitting in, and bent down to her level, meeting her gaze.

"Alice" he said, in the same exact tone. 

She looked in his eyes, and in that moment she forgot anything that could possibly tear them apart.

"Kiss me" she said, and so he did.


	6. Chapter 6

They parted as soon as they heard the police force barging in.

"Nobody move!" a uniformed officer yelled into the empty building.

FP and Alice got up immediately, fixing their clothes and straightening their posture, as if the police knew, or cared.

"The building is empty officer. The girls are out of here and in safe hands. All the nuns are locked in the basement on the first floor" FP said to the younger man.

"And the drugs?" asked another officer as the rest of the party searched this floor.

"They're in a room downstairs, we'll show you to it" said Alice as she led the two men to the room where everything and nothing happened.

"Okay this could work" said Tom from the bar, "we just have to clear all the alcohol out, wouldn't want them being delusional AND wasted. Can you imagine? Oh hello, Gargoyle king, wait whaaat there's TWO gargoyle kings?!" he laughed to himself and continued clearing out the liquor. 

"This place was always my escape" reminisced Fred, he elaborated as an answer to Betty's confused look, "I know I don't seem like the type of guy that'd be- well, here, often. But when I was young and my dad was sick, I couldn't stand being around the house. And well, FP and Alice were always here, and since they practically ruled this gang everyone was nice to little Northside Freddo" he smiled and Betty joined him in doing so.

"Were you close? The three of you? My mom never talks about her past" Betty asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, yes. The four of us actually" he smiled.

"Four? Who's the fourth?" 

"It was me, your mom, FP and Hermione. Kinda funny, huh? History repeating itself" he asked, referring to her and her friends.

"I guess it is" Betty smiled, "How come you're not close anymore? You barely even talk" 

"Life has a way to ruin beautiful things, kiddo. Maia got married to Hiram and went to New York, oh that was after she broke my heart and left me" he scrunched his nose and if Betty looked real close she could see that he still cared, maybe a little.

"Your mom and FP broke up as well, she moved to the Northside and he considered that a betrayal, which made them sworn enemies for a while there. And we all had kids, we all had our own lives, our own thing going on. Barely a hello or a how are you when we passed each other" 

"Are we going to become like that? Like you said, history repeating itself" Betty asked, and Fred could see her genuine concern.

"No, no kid. You're smart. Smarter than we ever were and well, this- this town it's put you through a lot. Like it did us, and if you don't stick together this place will become literal hell, drained from all the good things in the world" Betty could see clear as day how tired Mr. Andrews was, bags under his eyes, his voice over a whisper talking about this town, his home, that has turned into hell for him.

"Mr. Andrews" Betty said softly, he looked up. "I promise you, we are going to fix this town. For you, for me, for everyone here. I promise" 

Fred smiled with tears glossing in his eyes and he pulled her in for a hug, "you're a great kid, Betty".

And for the first time in a while, Fred Andrews did actually see a better future for this town, because kids like Betty and his son were in that future.

"What sort of sick person does this to troubled girls?" sighed the police officer.

He looked at FP and Alice, "You can't keep the girls with you. I'll contact child services to help them find a shelter. And this place is officially shut down" he said and both the adult shared a relieved smile.

"Contact the person that has them and tell them not to move, the force will be right there to insure their safety" the young officer told FP and Alice. 

"Hey Tom, where are you" asked FP as he and Alice were driving back to town.

"The Wyrm. Girls are staying here I guess per Fred's orders"

"Are you crazy?! Do you know how much alcohol is in that place?! Let alone people who sell drugs and pills" FP exclaimed, frustrated.

"FP, calm down, we're clearing the place and watching the girls at all times. Where are you?" 

"We're on our way" Alice answered, "the police is also coming and they want to get child services in contact so they can take care of the girls. Makes no sense for us to foster over twenty girls"

"Yeah. Of course" 

"Okay, aaand thirty" Tom counted the girls as they got in the bus.

"Is our king really asking to see us?!" asked one of the girls.

Betty sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead gently.

"Yes. Yes sweetie he did" Alice smiled sadly at them.

"What are they going to do to them. mom?" Betty asked, concern clear as day in her eyes.

"I don't know, sweetheart. But you did the right thing by not leaving them there" Alice patted the younger blonde's cheek softly.

"And Betty that crazy rumor you thought was far off is actually spot on" FP said and Betty furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't know about the identity changing part but we found drugs...in the files. That place is a scam" 

"But what was Hiram doing there?" Fred asked.

"Probably selling them the drugs" FP said, looking at the remaining four, "we need solid proof to take him down" he sighed.

"And if we want to make this town a safe place, we have to take him down" Fred added.

"I'll call Veronica" the younger blonde announced.

"Just anything unusual at all" Betty asked into the phone.

"B, everything my dad does is unusual, he's a business man and a very good one at that. He has more things hidden from me than the hairs on my head. But... I do know someone whi might be able to help us" Veronica stopped for a second.

"Hey Al, look" Tom called out. "Remember this?" 

He pointed to a T and an A carved on the side of the pool table, next to them was an attempted drawing of a trophy.

They carved that after a wild, drunken night when they were seventeen, Alice and FP had dragged Tom, Hermione, Mary and Fred to a party at the Wyrm, they had just won a game against Gladys and Penny, who were known to be the champions of pool in the Southside, and they both vowed to never forget that night as long as they live.

They forgot it the next day due to a killer hungover. But the initials helped them remember...and got them in a lot of trouble. 

"Oh, yeah" Alice smiled, running her fingers over the pointed out drawing. "We kicked ass at pool" 

"Let's go" Betty said, walking towards the adult.

"Can she help?" Fred asked.

"She has someone that might" 

"Hey B, over here" Veronica waved the group over to where she was standing behind a building. 

"Did she agree?" Betty asked her friend, and the adults listened in oblivion.

"Yes. Come here, we don't want anyone seeing us" 

"Who is it?" Alice whispered to FP.

"Hi guys" In all black, Hermione Lodge greeted her former friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'd really appreciate some feedback on this story, should I continue? And what would you like to see next? Please tell me in the comments. Have a great day!

"Hermione?" Fred exclaimed, looking back at the remaining three adults who looked equally shocked. 

"This is a trap I can feel it" Alice looked around expecting to see Hiram to laugh in their faces for thinking they could outsmart him.

"It's not a trap, Alice. I'm here to help" Hermione said, and they could just feel the slightest bit of sincerity in her voice. 

"Why would you choose to help us- your former friends who you barely talk to- over your own husband?" Tom asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion

Hermione sighed, looking at her daughter and then back at the people she used to call her friends. 

"Hiram is never up to any good, that we all know" the group nodded, and she continued "but if I- we- don't stop him, I don't know what he'll do, and to be honest I don't want to find out. As for the husband part, he's- it's- it's just for show, our marriage, I mean. I'm sick of this distrust and dishonesty between us, I'm sick of him pretending he's doing good and getting better only for him to ruin yet another life doing selfish things, and I'm sick of just being his arm candy! I am my own person, capable of seeing right and wrong and all I'm seeing now is wrong" she took a deep breath, "so do you want my help or not?"

"Thank you for the help, V, we really appreciate it" Betty hugged her best friend as they walked towards where the car was parked, to give the adult some sort of unspoken privacy. 

"Anything, B" the raven haired girl smiled. "So have you heard from Jughead where they are now? I can try and pretend but I'm still worried about Archie, I really am" 

"Wha- what do you mean where they are now?!" Betty asked, her eyes widening. 

Veronica furrowed her eyebrows, her mouth slightly agape "you- you don't know?"

"Know what?!" "Jughead and Archie left town th-" Veronica was cut off by Betty's worried demands 

"What do you mean left town?! Where the hell did they go and why didn't anyone tell me!" 

"B, I thought you knew..." 

Betty had tears streaming down her face as she tried to contain her feelings, she sat down at a near stool and put her head in her hands. "Wh-why, V, why did they leave, did Archie call you?" 

"He uh- he did" the shorter girl smiled sadly, "to break up with me"

"What?! V... are you okay?" Betty asked

"I'm fine, Betty" Veronica lied

Are they... are they gone for good? How can Jughead not call me how can he not know- or care that I was locked in some hideous place where they were forcing fizzle rocks and G&G on me-"

"Betty... what the hell are you talking about?! Where were you this week?" Veronica furrowed her eyebrows 

"The sisters of quiet mercy" Betty looked down at her feet. "How can he not call" she whispered. 

"They're coming back, B. They just needed time away from this town, after all the G&G stuff and everything with Joaquin they just needed to breathe. Jughead didn't want to worry you, Archie said he told his dad to look out for you and make sure you're okay and that you don't worry about him" 

Betty looked up at her best friend and she could so clearly see the buried pain in her eyes.

"Veronica, are you okay?" 

Veronica looked between her folded hands to Betty's face, "No" 

"Do you know anything about his ties to the sisters of quiet mercy?" Tom asked.

"Not like he tells me anything, so no. However I can sneak you in his office when he's not there so you can look for any clues, his password for everything is Veronica's birthday" 

"Can we go now? The sooner the better" 

"Yes now would be good. I'll meet you at the Pembrooke in half an hour" 

"I still think it's a scam" Alice raised her hands in the air.

"Me too. But if things go south, you know what that means?" Tom looked at Alice

"Hell yes! We'll lock them in a locker until they agree to buys us cigarettes and french fries" Alice laughed, referring to what they did to one of their classmates in Senior year.

"Not quite. What ever happened to that kid?" Tom asked her.

"Left town" laughed Fred.

"Damn right he did, he was terrified of me" 

"Everything in our class was terrified of you, Alice" FP laughed.

"Still are" the four laughed as they walked towards the car.

"Elizabeth, Veronica, I prefer if you don't come with us when we do this" Alice said to the two girls sitting next to the car.

They looked up, and she noticed their tear-stained cheeks. "Seems like you have things to talk about. Come on, we'll drop you off home" Alice said gently, nudging the duo to get in the truck.


End file.
